Mobility in Washington, MO. Our bodies are built to be on the go. But sometimes, we sustain an injury or other condition that prevents us from our favorite activities, or even just being able to carry out or daily live comfortably. While that loss of physical mobility affects us in more ways than just physically, Axes Physical Therapy in Washington, MO can provide you with safe, effective, and evidence-backed solutions that are built specifically to you, your age, and your desired activity level. No matter if your mobility is limited because of an injury, a disease, or an impairment in your musculoskeletal skeleton such as sciatica, start on the road back to your best possible movement health and meaningful pain relief now by setting up a mobility and injury analysis with Axes today or calling the the one of our 15 locations nearest you.

The dictionary defines mobility as, “the ability to move… freely and easily.” For some people that looks like rolling over in bed comfortably, while others need to get back to sprinting down the basketball court on a fast break. Whatever it means to you, if can’t complete the activities you want to speak with a physician about professional physical therapy and movement health services.

Functional Mobility in Washington, MO

Functional mobility refers to a person’s ability to complete basic tasks. This can be simple tasks such as comfortably laying down in bed each night or walking up a flight of stairs. In general, there are three types of functional mobility:

1. Bed mobility — Whether or not you can to easily move around in bed, including rolling, scooting, sitting up, and lying down.
2. Transfers — Your ability to move from one surface to a different one, for example from a chair, bed, or sofa to another.
3. Ambulation — Whether or not you can walk, and can do so while carrying things.

If you cannot currently complete some or all of the tasks above without the aid of a person or assistive device, the Washington, MO physical and occupational therapists at Axes are dedicated to getting your freedom back. Whether your currently limited functional mobility was caused by a knee injury, arthritis or other joint pain, or even a a progressive disorder like Parkinson’s disease, we’ll guide you through your journey to the best possible movement health. Most treatment plans include strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises. We also offer vestibular therapy for people who have a debilitating vestibular disorder.

The seven level Functional Independence Measure (FIM) is the main way to evaluate functional mobility in Washington, MO:

1. Complete independence, meaning you are able to complete a specified task safely and in a relatively normal amount of time
2. Modified independence, meaning you can perform certain movements but only with an assistive device
3. Stand-by assist, meaning you can complete the task independently but need someone to monitor you for safety
4. Minimal assistance, meaning you can do 75% or more while someone else helps you the rest of the way
5. Moderate assistance, meaning you can exert half of the effort necessary
6. Maximal assistance, meaning you can complete about 25% of the task without assistance
7. Total assistance or not testable, meaning you are unable to put in 25% of the effort required, or that the activity is not safe to test

At Axes Physical Therapy in Washington, MO, your customized treatment plan may include safely taking you up through the seven levels, or at least to the highest level possible. All of our methods are based on what research says works best for you, and your dedicated physical therapist will begin your mobility treatment with a comprehensive evaluation of your health to ensure that the exercises we use are safe for someone suffering from the same ailment you are.

Beyond Functional Mobility in Washington, MO

Obviously, many of us desire a higher level of movement health than just rolling over in bed comfortably. There are pickleball leagues to dominate, your pets to play with, and the physical demands of the job you perform every day in order to provide for your Washington, MO family. At Axes, our occupational and physical therapists can help any individual achieve the activity level they desire. We also offer:

• Occupational therapy — Our Washington, MO occupational therapists are crucial to your recovery when an injury or condition does not allow you to carry out the tasks of your job. We team up with you and your physician, insurance carrier, attorney and employer so you can get back to being an integral member of our Washington, MO community and supporting your family as you always have. Our advanced work rehabilitation includes Functional Capacity Evaluations to determine if you are ready to return to your job.
• Sports therapy — The worst-case scenario for any athlete is a sudden injury that sidelines them and keeps them from what they love for anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. Our Washington, MO physical therapy team knows how to help those who are sidelined because of ACL tears, rotator cuff tears, and a variety of other injuries. Our Certified Athletic Trainers also specialize in injury prevention to help you avoid re-injury.
• Pre/post surgical rehabilitation — Surgery is a complex and nerve-racking procedure for anyone. Whether your surgery is elective or medically necessary, we’ll work with your physician and surgeons to form a complete surgical team to ease your worry, and formulate an effective game plan to restore optimal mobility.

Whatever the current level of mobility, and the extent to wish you want to improve it, consult with your Washington, MO doctor about what physical therapy can do for you, or visit one of our locations for a no-obligation injury screening from a clinically experienced physical or occupational therapist.

How a Physical Therapist in Washington, MO Can Help Improve Your Mobility

The four determinants of mobility are our strength, flexibility, range of motion, and balance:

• Strength — While physical therapy can help rebuild muscle after an injury and slow the weakening of muscles as we age, it also ensures that no muscle is disproportionately strong or weak. Having proportionately strong muscles around joints is essential in preventing injury and improving your mobility.
• Flexibility and range of motion — To reach the movement health and lifestyle we desire, our muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue need to be able to lengthen so that the joints they control and protect can function at their highest level.
• Balance — Frequent causes of balance issues are:
  • Problems with vision
  • A vestibular disorder, or something in your inner ear
  • Your proprioceptive system, or the network between your sensory receptors and your nervous system

A licensed physical therapist in Washington, MO will determine what is causing your mobility issues and come up with a treatment plan, based on evidence to improve your movement health. In addition to restorative strength, flexibility, and core exercises, other evidence-backed techniques may include:

• Soft tissue mobilization
• Kinesio Taping®
• Trigger point dry needling
• Blood flow restriction training
• Posture correction and correct posture education

If necessary, a physical therapist in Washington, MO can also create custom medically accepted assistive devices such as splints, braces, crutches, or canes in order to help you achieve the best possible mobility.

How Physical Therapy in Washington, MO Helps Beyond Mobility

Physical therapy does more than just increase mobility. As we work to improve your movement health, you’ll also enjoy:

• Pain relief, whether from an injury or pain that is chronic in nature without needing to depend on costly and potentially habit forming prescription drugs
• In some cases, the potential to avoid a surgical procedure by stimulating the body’s own healing methods
• Patient education, including physical therapy techniques you can do in the comfort of your own home with no risk to injury, injury prevention techniques, and correct posture
• Encouraging you to maintain an active lifestyle, carries with it the benefits of enhanced energy, lowers your odds of developing heart disease, contributes to a healthy weight, makes you feel better, and promotes better sleep

Other services we offer in Washington, MO include:

• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Mobility in Washington, MO | Axes Physical Therapy

Whether you are looking for hand therapy in order to make it easier for you to do basic everyday things, are in need of meaningful pain management for arthritis, or want to get back on the field after a sports injury, Axes’ team of licensed physical and occupational therapists is here to help you get back to what you love doing most. We practice a client-centered approach. To get back your independence and active lifestyle, request an appointment with Axes Physical Therapy today or find the location nearest for you.